Container



Jan. 24, 1956 A. L. CONRAD 2,732,112

CONTAINER FILLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1955 5 Sheets-Sheefi l A W ll Q Q I \N I UHHIHWNN Fqfiw a] miimmmw Q, K) '7 ii; I W

El 5E BY fl/len L. Conrad 51/444; 1 WM AT'mNNEYs Q & l INVENTOh Jan. 24,1956 A. L. CONRAD 2,732,112

' CONTAINER FILLING APPARATUS Filed Sept. 24, 1953 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ELN\3 3* u N s n N N [I '3 INVENTOR A/ /erz Z. 6272mm;

BY 527% #W% ATTORNEYS Jan. 24. 1956 A. CONRAD CONTAINER FILLINGAPPARATUS 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. 24, 1953 A//en l. Conrad EMM Y MWATTORNEYS United States Patent CONTAINER FILLING APPARATUS 7 Allen L.Conrad, New Iberia, La. Application September 24, 1953, Serial No.382,161

13 Claims. (Cl. 226-48) This invention relates to container fillingapparatus and more particularly to apparatus adapted forcibly to movematerial from a tray or equivalent support, receptacle or the like intoan open-end container and/or to move such a container, after beingfilled, onto a receiving table, slab or the like.

An object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of the classreferred to which is of improved and simple construction, and which maybe worked effectively by operators not necessarily having anyspecialized training, skill, or mechanical aptitude.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus of thecharacter stated including a novel pushing or filling member andoperating mechanism therefor, characterized by safeguarding againstentanglement of the pushing or filling member with a container during afilling operation or during a return stroke of the member following afilling operation.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent from a reading ofthe following description, the appended claims, and the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of apparatus embodying theinvention, the parts being shown in the positions which they occupy whenmaterial has been deposited upon a filler tray and before the pushingmechanism has been operated to force the material into a container and/or to move the filled container from the tray;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,showing in full lines the parts in the positions corresponding to thoseshown in Figures 1 and 2, and showing in dotted lines the positions ofcertain of the parts at the end of a pushing or filling stroke;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing in full lines theparts after a container has been filled and moved away from the pushingapparatus just prior to the commencement of a return stroke of thepushing member; 1

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts of thepushing mechanism showing a pushing member or plate approaching the endof its return stroke;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of parts of. thepushing mechanism, showing the pushing member or plate being returned toits vertical position at the end of a return stroke; and

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the pusher plate shown in the horizontalposition which it occupies when it is being moved on a return stroke, apart of a connecting rod also being shown.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated as including abase structure comprising a frame generally designated A which may beconstructed of any suitable materials and elements. The frame isprovided with a top wall or slab 1, a front end wall 2, a rear end wall3, and a horizontal mechanism cover 4 which extends from the bottom ofthe rear wall 3. Side walls 5,

5 also are attached to the base structure. Rollers 6 attached to thebottom of the frame A are provided for enabling the apparatus to bemoved from place to place in a packing or filling room.

Supported on the frame A is a filling or loading tray B having a bottom8 located horizontally and spaced above the slab 1. The tray includesside walls 9, 9 and is open at its front or right hand end as viewed inthe drawings. The side walls 9, 9 have their front and upper cornerstapered as indicated at 10. The rear of the tray may be open except fortwo flanges 11, 11 which extend vertically along the rear edges of theside walls and project inwardly towards the center of the tray.

The front part of the tray B is supported in the manner of a cantileverbeam so as to be spaced above the top wall or slab 1 of the frame A andso as to be unobstructed marginally, thereby enabling an open-endcontainer D to register with or to be fitted over the front end of thetray as shown in full lines in Figure 3. In use, the tray B is filled orloaded with material, such for example, as relatively small bags ofcoffee, rice or the like, and the material or bag load C on the tray isthen pushed toward the right into the container D which has been fittedover the front or right hand end of the tray.

Apparatus for pushing the material from the tray into ,the container Dcomprises a plate member E equipped with brackets 12 which extendrearwardly or to the left from the plate E when the latter is in avertical position. A pin 13 extending through the brackets 12 at a pointhorizontally spaced or offset from the center of gravity of the plate Epivotally connects the plate to a connecting rod 14, the rear end ofwhich is pivoted at 15 to a flat part 16 at the upper end of anoperating lever 17 which extends upwardly from the bottom of the framethrough a slot in the mechanism cover 4- and between guard rails 18, 18.The lower end of the operating lever 17 is pivoted at 19 on a bearingbracket 20 secured to the base A.

The lever 17 may be operated manually, but preferably is operated bypower driven means. In the form shown, a suitable power driven means isshown as including a hydraulic cylinder 21 secured to the base A andhaving reciprocable therein a piston (not shown) connected to a pistonrod 22. The outer end of the rod 22 is provided or formed with a clevis23 which is pivoted at 24 to the lever 17 by means of a slot 25 in aplate as secured to the lever 17. The arrangement is such that thepiston and piston rod 22 may be reciprocated in a straight line toeffect rocking movements of the operating lever 17.

Operating fluid under pressure is supplied to opposite ends of thecylinder 21 by a pump 27 driven by an electric motor 28, fluid beingdirected alternatively to opposite ends of the cylinder 21 by a valvemechanism 29 connected to opposite ends of the cylinder by conduits orpipes 30 and 31. The valve mechanism, which is not illustrated indetail, but which may be of any known or suitable kind, may be operatedby a foot pedal 32 and a linkage 33. A switch 34 may be provided forstarting and stopping the motor 28.

When the operating mechanism moves the pusher plate E to the right fromthe position shown in full lines in Figure 3 to the position shown indotted lines in this figure, the container D with the bags or material Ctherein will drop onto the slab 1. In order to prevent the plate E fromdescending so as not to clear the bottom of the tray B when the plate ismoved on a return stroke, a guide roller 35 is pivoted on a bracket 36carried by the connecting rod 14 and is adapted to rest upon the bottomof the tray after a pushing or filling stroke has been completed and thefilled container has been manually moved away from the pusher plate E asshown in Figure 4. Also, when the parts are in the position shown inFigure 4 with the filled container B having been manually slid or movedto the right on the slab 1 so as to free the plate E, the latter willswing to a horizontal position because of the location of the pivot 13at a point spaced or offset horizontally from the center of gravity ofthe plate E. Consequently, the plate B being in a horizontal positionand being held above the bottom of the tray B by the guide roller 35,the connecting rod 14 and plate E may be moved on the return strokewithout interference of the plate E With the tray B. In order tofacilitate withdrawal of the plate E from the open end portion of thecontainer D, and entry of the plate E while in a horizontal positioninto the tray or between the tray sides 9, 9, it is preferred that thestiffening flange 37 surrounding the plate be tapered along its sides asat 38, 38 so as to converge downwardly and inwardly when the plate is ina vertical plane.

Operation In operation, any materials, bags, or articles C to be filledinto a container are placed on the tray B as shown in Figures 1 and 2.The container D is then pulled over the front end part of the tray andthe material or articles thereon as shown in full lines in Figure 3. Inthis figure the bag or container D is shown as being positioned so as toencompass almost the entire tray and the material thereon, but ifdesired it will be sufficient merely to have the open end portion, sayabout one-third of the length of the container, surrounding the frontend of the tray and the material thereon.

The container D having been positioned as explained above, the foottreadle 32 is operated to admit fluid under pressure through the conduit31 into the cylinder 21 so as to move the piston rod 22 to the right,thereby rocking the operating lever 17 clockwise and moving theconnecting rod 14 and pusher plate E to the right. The rightwardmovement of the plate E will push the bags or material C against thebottom of the container D so as to force the filled container to theright of the tray B and permit the filled container to drop onto thereceiving slab 1. The parts will then be in the positions indicated indotted lines in Figure 3. When a return stroke is to be performed thetreadle 32 is released so as to admit fluid under pressure through theconduit 30 into the right end of the cylinder 21 to move the piston andthe piston rod 22 toward the left so as to rock the operating lever 17counterclockwise. This will pull the connecting rod 14 and the pusherplate E toward the left. At this time the guide roller 35 will be incontact with the bottom of the tray B so as to hold the pusher plate Eat a level higher than the level at which it travels during a pushingstroke, and the pushing plate E will have swung to the horizontalposition shown in Figure 4. Consequently, when the pusher plate E ismoved on a return stroke it will not engage the bottom of the tray, andthe tapered or converging side portions 33, 38 of the plate B willfacilitate entry of the plate between the sides Q, 9 of the tray.Furthermore, the converging side portions 38, 38 of the plate willenable the latter to be withdrawn from the mouth of the container Dwithout becoming caught in the sides of the container. When, during thelatter part of a return stroke, the pusher plate E and connecting rod 14reach the positions shown in Figure 5, the guide roller 35 will becomedisengaged from the bottom of the tray B so as to permit the plate E todrop to the position shown in Figure in which it rests upon the bottomof the tray B. Upon further leftward movement of the parts to thepositions shown in Figure 6, the bottom edge of the plate E which isthen leading in the return movement will engage the restoring flanges 11extending inwardly from the sides of the tray, which will cause theplate E to be tipped back or restored to its vertical position as shownin Figure '3. The parts will all have then returned to their startingpositions,

and another loading or filling operation can be accomplished in themanner described above.

The construction illustrated embodies the invention in a preferred form,but it is intended that the disclosure be illustrative rather thandefinitive. The invention is defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray for receivingfiller material; means supporting the tray with one end thereofunobstructed marginally so as to enable the open end of a container tobe fitted thereover; a pusher member mounted to move along andrelatively close to the bottom of the tray during the first part of itspushing stroke for pushing filler material on said tray into a containerso fitted over said tray end; means for driving said pusher member on apushing stroke to force said filler material into said container and fordriving said pusher member on a return stroke; and guide means operativeduring the last part of a pushing stroke of said pusher member andduring the first part of a return stroke thereof for guiding said pushermember to move relatively far from the bottom of said tray as comparedto the position of said pusher member during the first part of a pushingstroke and during the last part of a return stroke.

2. In a container filling apparatus, a base having a horizontal surfaceproviding a receiving slab; a horizontal tray having an open end; meanssupporting said tray on said base with said tray open end spaced abovesaid slab, said tray open end being unobstructed marginally so as toenable the open end of a container to be fitted thereover with saidcontainer extending outwardly over said slab; a pusher member mounted tomove along said tray for pushing filler material thereon into acontainer so fitted over said tray end; means for driving said pushermember on a pushing stroke to force said filler material into saidcontainer and to move the filled container beyond said tray to enablesaid filled container to be dropped onto said slab, and for moving saidpusher member on a return stroke; and guide means for guiding saidpusher member to move at a higher level relatively to the bottom of thetray during the last part of a pushing stroke and the first part of areturn stroke than during the first part of a pushing stroke and thelast part of a return stroke,

3. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray for receivingfiller material; means supporting the tray with one end thereofunobstructed marginally so as to enable the open end of a container tobe fitted thereover; a pusher member mounted to extend vertically and tomove along the tray for pushing filler material thereon into a containerso fitted over said tray end; means for driving said pusher member toforce said filler material into said container; and for then returningsaid pushing member to its starting position comprising a drivingelement, and means pivotally connecting said driving element to saidpusher member at a point offset from the center of gravity of saidpusher member for causing said pusher member to tend to swing from itsvertical position into a horizontal position.

4. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray having an openend adapted to register with the open end of a container; a pusher platemounted to move over and longitudinally of said tray for pushing fillermaterial from said tray into a registering container; a driving elementmovable longitudinally of said tray for operating said pusher plate onpushing and return strokes; and means connecting said pusher plate tosaid driving element so as to enable said pusher plate to be disposed ina substantially vertical plane while being driven by said drivingelement on a pushing stroke and so as to cause said pusher plate tooccupy a position in a substantially horizontal plane when being drivenon a return stroke by said driving element.

5. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray having an ,openend adapted to register with the open end of a container; a pusher platemounted to move over and longitudinally of said tray for pushing fillermaterial from said tray into a registering container; a driving elementmovable longitudinally of said tray for operating said pusher plate onpushing and return strokes; and means pivotally connecting said pusherplate to said driving element to rock about a horizontal pivot axistransverse to the direction of movement of said pusher plate on itspushing and return strokes and spaced horizontally from the center ofgravity of said pusher plate for permitting such pusher plate to rockabout said transverse axis, said pusher plate occupying a verticalposition during pushing strokes when it is pushing against said materialand said pusher plate being swingable by gravity to a relativelyhorizontal position when it starts a return stroke and is not pushingagainst said material.

6. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray having an openend adapted to register with the open end of a container; a pusher platemounted to move over and longitudinally of said tray for pushing fillermaterial from said tray into a registering container; a driving elementmovable longitudinally of said tray for operating said pusher plate onpushing and return strokes; means pivotally connecting said pusher plateto said driving element to rock about a horizontal pivot axis transverseto the direction of movement of said pusher plate on its pushing andreturn strokes and spaced horizontally from the center of gravity ofsaid pusher plate for permitting said pusher plate to rock about saidtransverse axis, said pusher plate occupying a position in asubstantially vertical plane during pushing strokes when it is pushingagainst said material and said pusher plate being swingable by gravityto a position in a substantially horizontal plane when it starts areturn stroke and is not pushing against said material; and means forrestoring said pusher plate to a position in a substantially verticalplane at the end of a return stroke thereof.

7. Apparatus as set forth in claim 6 in which the means for restoringthe pusher plate to a vertical position comprises a restoring partengageable by a portion of said pusher plate which is below the pivotalaxis thereof when said pusher plate is in the relatively horizontalposition during a return stroke.

8. Apparatus as set forth in claim 7 in which said restoring part isconstituted by a flange fixed with respect to said tray.

9. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray having an openend adapted to register with the open end of a container; a pusher platemounted to move over and longitudinally of said tray for pushing fillermaterial from said tray into a registering container; an operating leverpivoted to rock about a horizontal axis for movement of a part of saidlever horizontally towards and from said tray and also vertically; aconnecting rod pivoted at its opposite ends to said pusher plate andsaid operating lever part; and a guide member on said connecting rodengageable with said tray and cooperable with the connection betweensaid lever part and said connecting rod during the first part of areturn stroke of said pusher plate for holding the latter at a higherlevel than during the first part of a pushing stroke of said pusherplate.

10. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray having an openend adapted to register with the open end of a container; a pusher platemounted to move over and longitudinally of said tray for pushing fillermaterial from said tray into a registering container; an operating leverpivoted to rock about a horizontal axis for movement of a part of saidlever horizontally towards and from said tray and also vertically; aconnecting rod pivoted at one of its ends to said lever part and at theother of its ends to said pusher plate at a point oifset from the centerof gravity of said pusher plate, whereby the latter may occupy avertical position during pushing strokes when it is pushing against thematerial, and will swing by gravity to a relatively horizontal positionwhen it starts a return stroke and is not pushing against said material;and a guide memher on said connecting rod engageable with said tray andcooperable with the connection between said lever part and saidconnecting rod during the first part of a return stroke of said pusherplate for holding the latter at a higher level than during the firstpart of a pushing stroke of said pusher plate.

11. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray having an openend adapted to register with the open end of a container; a pusher platemounted to move over and longitudinally of said tray for pushing fillermaterial from said tray into a registering container; a driving elementmovable longitudinally of said tray for operating said pusher plate onpushing and return strokes; means connecting said pusher plate to saiddriving element for enabling said pusher plate to be disposed in asubstantially vertical plane during a pushing stroke when it is pushingagainst said material and to move to a relatively horizontal plane atthe beginning of a return stroke when it is not pushing against saidmaterial; and means for guiding said pusher plate during a return strokeand when it is in said relatively horizontal plane for preventing itfrom contacting the bottom of said tray.

12. In a container filling apparatus, a horizontal tray for receivingfiller material; means supporting the tray at one end thereof so as toleave substantially the entire length of the tray unobstructedmarginally to enable a container having an open end and a closed end tobe fitted over the other end of said tray and substantially enclose saidtray with the closed end of said container in substantially the sameplane as said other end of said tray; a pusher member mounted to movefrom said one end of said tray along the tray towards and beyond theother end of said tray for pushing filler material on the tray into acontainer so fitted over said tray; a receiving slab disposed at a lowerlevel than said tray and extending beyond the latter in the direction ofpushing movement of said pusher member; and means for driving saidpusher member to force said filler material into said container and intoengagement with said closed end of said container to move the filledcontainer beyond said tray and over said slab to be dropped thereupon.

13. In a container filling apparatus, a base having a horizontal surfaceproviding a receiving slab; a horizontal tray having an open end; meanssupporting said tray on said base at the end of the tray opposite saidopen end with said tray open end spaced above said slab, said tray beingunobstructed marginally for substantially its entire length so as toenable a container having an open end and a closed end to be fitted oversaid open end of said tray and substantially enclose said tray with theclosed end of said container in substantially the same plane as saidother end of said tray; a pusher member mounted to move from said oneend of said tray along the tray towards and beyond the other end of saidtray for pushing filler material thereon into a container so fitted oversaid tray; and means for driving said pusher member to force said fillermaterial into said container and into engagement with said closed end ofsaid container to move the filled container beyond said tray to enablesaid filled .container to be dropped onto said slab.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,228,416 Drolet, Sr. June 5, 1917 1,482,063 Baer Ian. 29, 19241,611,268 Colby Dec. 21, 1926 2,021,338 Struve Nov. 19, 1935 2,476,475Baum July 19, 1949 2,561,853 Glow et a1. July 24, 1951 2,568,593 ArsteinSept. 18, 1951

